Assembly of aircraft wing leading edge structures requires mechanical fastening of ribs to outer skin structure. Typically, interference press fit fasteners are first inserted through preformed openings in the ribs and then a retainer is placed on the fastener to secure the assembly. In many transport-size aircraft wings, the ribs inside the wing leading edge are spaced as close as several inches apart, thus limiting access to the area in which the fasteners are to be installed.
Previously, insertion of fasteners was accomplished by hand because of the limited working space. However, insertion of the first two or three fasteners through the rib structure was found to be difficult because of initial misalignment of the openings. As a result, a lever bar and wedge were used to force each fastener into position. This method proved unsuitable because damage frequently occurred to the structure and repair became necessary.
One attempt to overcome this difficulty involved the use of a hand-pumped hydraulic cylinder that was reworked to fit into the confined space between the ribs. As the cylinder is pumped, the piston extends therefrom and pushes the fastener through the opening. This method has the disadvantage of being awkward because it requires the use of both hands to hold and operate the pump within the confined pace. In addition, this method is slow because several strokes of the pump lever are required to activate the hydraulic cylinder. Hence, there is a need for a tool that can be easily placed in the confined space between the ribs and quickly operated to drive the fasteners through the openings.